


TACHIBANA MAKOTO (#17) / MATSUOKA RIN (#1) PRIMER

by moeblobmegane



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Baseball, M/M, Social Media, battery is magic, fake links, not-fic, written like a primer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-01
Updated: 2016-01-01
Packaged: 2018-05-10 23:20:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5604724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moeblobmegane/pseuds/moeblobmegane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(A fake primer, not-fic written for the prompt: Different Sport.)</p><p><i>Are you interested in boys crying over victories and losses in sports? Are you interested in the beautiful bond that is born between a pitcher and a catcher?</i> Well, you're at the right place then. Come in and join me as I cry over Matsuoka Rin and Tachibana Makoto of the Tottori Pirates. You won't regret it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	TACHIBANA MAKOTO (#17) / MATSUOKA RIN (#1) PRIMER

**Author's Note:**

> So the story is:  
> 1) I wanted to write a baseball AU and HAS written half of one for makorinweek's prompt "Different Sport",  
> 2) I got sidetracked by watching hockey and getting into Hockey RPF,  
> 3) primers fascinated me so much I wanted to make a fake one  
> 4) THIS was born from all those feelings
> 
> Battery = Pitcher + Catcher = a magical special bond of love and understanding  
> (RPF means Real Person Fiction, aka the fandom for celebrities, actors, famous people, etc.)
> 
> hover over the fake links to see additional text kk

# TACHIBANA MAKOTO (#17) / MATSUOKA RIN (#1) PRIMER

 

Hello, friends!

I am here to lead you towards the beautiful light that is Baseball RPF’s #1 otp (aka [Battery](http://that-means-%27pitcher-and-catcher%27/) Hell). It will change your life. Trust me.

 **BUT WAIT!!!!** , you say, **WHO CARES ABOUT BASEBALL???**

 **I DO** , I shout very passionately, **_AND YOU SHOULD TOO!_**

…*clears throat* If you’re still here, let’s get you the basics first, okay?

[Baseball](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nippon_Professional_Baseball) is arguably the biggest sport in Japan ~~(don’t listen to the football fans)~~ , has been for the last hundred years. There are ballads written about the [Yomiuri Giants and their rivalry with the Hanshin Tigers](http://someone-probably-did-write-this.-it%27s-an-actual-thing./). Baseball is just The Big Thing. It’s followed by everyone and the media covers it religiously. It’s like what Hockey is to Canada.

There are a lot of professional teams, [14 as of now](http://fakelistoffaketeams/), but it’s fine, you don’t have to think about those right now. We’re gonna go straight to the most important team in our hearts.

 **[Tottori Pirates](http://tottoripirateswiki/)** is a baby team with only 28 players. And by _baby_ I mean, they literally have only been made two years ago. You could see a footage of their manager, Sasabe Goro, making a speech about it right here. The formation of the team was a direct response to [Tottori’s tourism boost](http://the-tears-of-teenage-boys-sells/) and [Matsuoka Rin being awesome](http://matsuokahitshomerunandpitchesastrikeoutinonegame/). You’ll probably say I’m biased but no one can deny that Rin’s passion is the main reason why this team even exists. (Of course, there’s Haruka Nanase who was called the second coming of [Hideo Nomo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hideo_Nomo), or basically The New Pitcher to Fear, and is another driving force in this whole wonderful story, but let’s _focus_.)

If you want to know about the team’s formation in detail, you can read [this primer](http://iwannamakeone/) by @mainichiteatime. (It’s got _[baby Pirates pictures](http://rinwearingahanshintigers%27jersey.makototeachingrantobat.harukachewingonabaseballasatoddler/)_. And also a whole ode to [Minami and Takuya’s bromance](http://akamarriedcouple/), a thing I can’t insert here but is always relevant to my interests.)

Long story short, Rin is the son of Matsuoka Toraichi, who was in the big leagues for just a year until he unfortunately had to retire because of an injury; so Rin vowed to avenge his father’s career by becoming Japan’s #1 pitcher. There is an [actual footage](http://titled.youngmatsuokadreamshigherthanyou/) of baby Rin (9 at the time) saying this. _He’s adorable af_. His baseball team in Iwatobi High School reached [Koushien](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_High_School_Baseball_Championship) during his second year, and then they actually freaking _won_ during his third year. It was unbelievable, unprecedented even. There they were, a team of 11 students, who just became a real team a year ago, who were from _Tottori_ of all places, and they stood there in Hanshin Koshien Stadium with their heads held up high and they took the prize. [Here is a video of Rin crying](http://titled.histearsaregold/). They all cried but seriously, _Rin’s face_. It’s beautiful.

But anyway. Let’s go back to the point. That highly publicised win, plus Rin’s Tragic Backstory with the big leagues, _plus_ the existence of Haruka Nanase and his Faster Than God fastballs, paved the way for the Tottori Prefecture to think ‘ _wow we’ve got a pot of gold right here_ ’. The next year, most of the Iwatobi Baseball Club was recruited into the Tottori Pirates.

 **OKAY BUT CAN WE TALK ABOUT GAY BASEBALL PLAYERS NOW?** , you ask.

 ** _YES_** , I reply with fervor.

Let’s talk about Matsuoka Rin and Tachibana Makoto and how their love makes me want to cry.

If you’ve read up to this point (thank you for your patience), you might notice how I keep on talking about Matsuoka Rin and Nanase Haruka but haven’t even mentioned Tachibana Makoto. That’s because:

a) he’s a catcher and catchers are under-appreciated by the media

b) Makoto tends to be overshadowed by the huge fame Rin and Haruka (the two main pitchers) got

c) he is generally the quiet type of person and doesn’t speak much during interviews (he’s too busy trying to contain the mess that is his team)

d) he almost didn’t join Tottori Pirates (because he wanted to seriously study in a university in Tokyo)

Despite all of that, he is a very important member of this team and we love him. He is Haruka’s Keeper ([actual words](http://titled.hazukispillstottori%27ssecrets/) that came out of Nagisa Hazuki’s mouth, everybody), the Mom Friend (also [Nagisa’s words](http://sameinterview/), because he’s the gift that keeps on giving), and he’s our primary catcher. He’s got a huge build, strong arms, and a cunning sense you won’t expect from his kind face. It has been reported that teams tend to underestimate him because he “[smiles so politely like he’s not competitive at all](http://quotefromunnamedplayer.initials.s.e./)” before the games and it disarms them. It’s a _weapon_. They don’t know that Makoto is probably the most competitive member of the team below the two pitchers. (He’s just below them because those two are _[unreasonably competitive](http://armwrestlingcontests/)_. Makoto keeps this team from falling apart, I swear to god. Thank you, Makoto.)

When he wasn’t sure whether to join the Tottori Pirates or not, he called Haruka first, who said “ _you should do what you want to do_ ”, because they’re best bros and Haruka wants what’s best for him. It’s very sweet.

But like, when Rin heard it, he apparently went all “ _PLEASE DON’T LEAVE ME_ ”. I may be paraphrasing a bit.

(What he said was, in fact,  _“You’re important to the team and we need you. I really need you with us.”_ , if [Sousuke’s retelling](http://tottoripiratespressreleasefortheirformation/) of it is real. Which, I would take this as Word of God, because Sousuke _is_ god. And also, I can totally imagine Rin doing that? He’s all dramatic and shit. I bet he cried.)

 Okay, okay, I’m getting kinda sidetracked. Sorry, I just have lots of  _feelings_.

Anyway, the point was, they played together in high school, won the Koushien together, and then went to join Tottori Pirates. Oh, but before that, they played against each other in middle school softball tournaments. Rin has a [whole interview](http://baseballmagazine/) about that, but my favorite part is this one:

> _“Looking back now, it’s funny how fate goes. I used to be so amazed at Haruka’s pitches, and then I was amazed by how Makoto was deftly catching ever single one of those crazy fastballs. Back then, I thought I really wanted to have a battery as good as that.” Rin laughed, grinning with that boyish charm we’ve all come to love. “And now, I’m in a battery with Makoto. Honestly, I feel blessed.”_

I also feel blessed ;///;

 

From being rivals in middle school, they became classmates in high school as mentioned before. Much has been said about Rin transferring into Iwatobi High School (a school with no baseball team at the time), but the most important fact is this: (from an interview with Sousuke)

> _“He’ll definitely deny it, but Rin went to Iwatobi because he was following Haruka. He went there even when there was no team, even when other big-name high schools were recruiting him… Though, I don’t really have any right to tease him, since I transferred a year after to join them. It was that kind of team. We all gravitated towards each other. That’s a big reason why it’s such a tight team. We do this for each other. We won for each other.”_

~~sshhh I’m not crying there’s just a baseball in my eye~~

At this point, you’ll probably tell me DO YOU ACTUALLY SHIP HARUKA AND RIN??? And honestly I was confused for like… a month or so because of my feelings for this team (and their beautiful polyamory potential), but I swear, there is a reason why Baseball RPF leaned towards shipping Makoto and Rin. So. Much. Reasons.

There is no doubt Rin kind of had a crush on Haruka(’s pitch), of course. (I mean, who wouldn’t? Men have cried while watching [Haruka pitch](http://fasterthanyourcarforrealz/).) It’s prime teasing material Sousuke and Nagisa always use in [their](http://titled.tottori%27scleanupbattercleansupwell/) [interviews](http://hazukiwinseveryone%27shearts/). But the beauty of the Makoto/Rin ship is in the freaking epic love story that unfolded because of this dynamics. (Thank you, Haruka Nanase.)

Just imagine it this way: Haruka and Makoto has been in a battery since they were children, Rin wanted to have a battery like that, and Makoto was the only catcher in Iwatobi at the time.

You see where I’m going with this???

In the words of Haruka, because he _does_ say things in interviews sometimes: 

> _“Rin wanted Makoto to be with him.”_

There is literally no subtlety because Haruka is just like that.

But seriously, the best way to explain this is through an excerpt from this [beauty of an article](http://rin.thepathtobecomingnumberone/) (it also has Rin’s feelings about shoujo manga, Sousuke’s batting, and Gou’s work as their PR manager, so it’s a worthy read all around):

> _It’s a well-known fact that Tachibana was the only catcher you had through the season, which meant he had to catch for both you and Nanase. Was there an issue there? Since you were rivals just a year ago?_
> 
> _**Rin:** Well, for one, we actually had a backup catcher. Takuya was a catcher in middle school, so there wasn’t some dramatic lack of members in our second year. On our first year, though… I guess, there was?_
> 
> _Oh? Did you and Nanase fight about it?_
> 
> _**Rin:** (laughs) Nothing like that! Me and Haru, we do fight a lot, but it was about games or who had a better pitch or which priorities the team should make. We never fought about the battery. The real issue was, me and Makoto couldn’t work together for a long time. Makoto, he- (clears throat) There wasn’t much trust there. I had to earn it._
> 
> _That’s surprising! You and Tachibana worked so well together in the finals._
> 
> _**Rin:** Believe me, it wasn’t easy. He and Haru, they were this solid team since they were children. I always thought it was impossible to get in that little circle they had. But we made it work, you know? We had to. Now, it feels like Makoto and I share a bond just as good as theirs, and that’s something I’ll always be thankful for. We wouldn’t have gone this far without that._

**SHARE A BOND!!!!!** _/leave me here to die/_. ~~The moment this interview came out,[rinrinmako](http://lj%20user%20rinrinmako/) launched a [soulbond trope fest](http://fast%20fandom%20is%20fast/) in livejournal, which gave birth to [THIS SOULMATE FIC](http://you%20should%20read%20isu%27s%20soulmate%20fic%20bec%20it%27s%20beautiful%20but%20i%20won%27t%20link%20bec%20that%27d%20be%20creepy/) that changed all of our lives.~~

 

How, exactly, did they make it work, you ask?

For a long while, we did not have a clue. But then!!! Nagisa Hazuki, the number one shortstop in my heart, and also number one shortstop in Rin’s heart, got a twitter. This is one of the biggest reasons why this ship soared.

**Mainly because:**

a) Nagisa has no filter, and PR somehow lets him get away with all the shit he says (e.g. “[in the next game, if I do an awesome save, Momo-chan will backflip in front of the press](http://nagis4thewin@twitter/)” which [he did](http://momowould/))

b) he is probably the most vocal about his amusement with Rin and Makoto’s relationship. If he was a sports journalist, he’d probably write about their epic love story. In [this](http://actualquote.%22rinchanandmakochanbelongstogether%22/) baseball essay, he almost did.

His twitter is the goldmine of our fandom. You should [follow him](http://nagis4thewin@twitter/).

  


You and me both, Nagisa, _you and me both_.

**When asked what ‘wooing’ Makoto entailed, he[answered](http://faketwitterlinkdotcom/):**

This leads us to the second most important resource if you’re gonna ship the hell out of them like I do: [**Matsuoka Gou’s Instagram**](http://thebettermatsuoka/).

Matsuoka Gou is the PR Manager of Tottori Pirates, and also the younger sister of Matsuoka Rin. She is _the best_. And also the boss of you and me and the whole team. She once punched a paparazzi on the face. I heard it was _awesome_.

As part of boosting their PR, Gou let Nagisa have a twitter, let the younger kids make vines ([Momo’s](http://pyunsuke%20@%20vine/) are the funniest but they don’t make sense; you’ll love it), and made an instagram of her own. At first, it was just simple things like pictures of their jerseys, pictures of the merchs, pictures of Tottori beaches… There was a lot of tourism shit in there. But I think Gou realized the beaches wasn’t the one that sells, right? It was ~~Matsuoka Rin’s tears~~ the team spirit.

So the next thing we know, she has pictures of a [shirtless Sousuke on the dugout](http://hismusclesmakegrownmenweep/), [Nagisa sleeping on Haruka’s lap](http://haruka-had-his-hand-on-nagisa%27s-hair-and-his-face-is-so-fond/), and [this picture of Rin staring lovingly at Makoto as they do morning stretches](http://officialarthasthis/). ( **EDIT** : she just posted t[his picture of Makoto staring fondly at Rin from the dugout](http://caption.battery%21%21%21%21/)!!!! _god just makeout already_ )

She’s quieter about it, of course, not like Nagisa’s in-your-face support for Makoto and Rin, but nonetheless, you still get pictures of those two so we still win.

Two months ago, after an awful loss against the Chunichi Dragons, we got [this picture](http://everyone%20is%20crying/) of the team where you can see at the very back, if you squint, Makoto with his arms around Rin as he cries on his shoulder. The caption was “These days are always the hardest, but I’m glad they found each other. Thank you for staying with us, everyone.” ~~(The picture still makes me cry, because the loss is still a huge scar in my heart. I’ll get over it, but give me time.)~~

A week after that, she posted [a video](http://we%27recopingdon%27tworry/) of Makoto, Minami, and Rei shopping for ice cream. In it, you can hear Rin’s voice in the background say “I want a-” and you’ll see Makoto cut him off with a “I already wrote yours down” while smiling that adorable smile of his.

In response, Nagisa [tweeted](http://actualshipperhazukinagisa/):

_THE SHIPPING IS STRONG IN THIS ONE._

The best thing about the instagram, though, is a monthly [#ThrowbackThursdays](http://ft.babypiratesandawkwardteenagers/) event. It’s glorious and you should check it out. (There’s a [video of Rei](http://failstastic.rei/) trying to throw a pitch and hitting Sasabe on the stomach. It’s _hilarious_.) There, we get to see picture evidences of the Nagisa Truth Bombs he drops on us.

For example, THIS PICTURE ~~that ruined my life~~ of younger Rin and Makoto taking a selfie in Tokyo Tower. ~~THE TOKYO DATE WAS REAL AND YOU CAN’T TAKE IT AWAY FROM ME~~. It’s funny because they’re smiling but they’re so awkward??? I _knew_ they weren’t really that close in their first year of high school but seeing them not as comfortable around each other really gives me feelings about how they obviously don’t have any boundaries now.

Speaking of no boundaries, this is the perfect time to drop this gem: (from an interview Rin did with Yazaki Aki, a sports blogger and a high school friend)

> _You’ve talked about your relationship with Nanase-kun in detail, but what I really want to hear is how you are with your assistant captain?_
> 
> _**Rin:** No one asks about that, right?! It’s funny because normally people ask that question to other teams, but with us, it’s always about me and Haru. I get it, yeah, Haru’s always been amazing, but this team? We wouldn’t survive without Makoto. He’s… He’s a stabilizing presence for us all. I get fired up a lot and I tend to react badly when some of the bigger issues pop up, but Makoto’s always there to steady us up. There are lots of things thrown our way, since we’re so young and honestly the whole birth of the team was controversial for a while, but through it all, Makoto was there to support me. To support us. We couldn’t have gone anywhere without him._
> 
> _You’ve got a great relationship, then._
> 
> _**Rin:** Yeah! We’re really close now. The team is, as a whole, of course. We’re a tight team. But with Makoto, there’s just… understanding? It feels like I could be serious and he’ll be honest with me. He listens to me but he also won’t quietly let me whine when I should be doing something. The first time we lost in the Koushien in high school, he let me sulk for a day and then he dragged me to a batting center. I was annoyed at first but I think, that’s when our relationship solidified in my head. Makoto is a great friend, and he’s the best co-captain I could ever get._

*sobs* i-it’s so beautiful…

That whole part is the perfect description of their dynamics. Rin is The Passionate Captain, who goes head-on and is under the spotlight most often than not. Makoto is The Quiet Support, who stays at their back and pushes them forward when they need it. Those two are, on paper, captain and assistant captain, but Rin has called Makoto “Co-captain” since they were in high school.

But even if they have this certain position, this dynamics, there are times when it reverses.

Makoto is a gentle soul, yeah, but when people started [writing bad stuff about Rin](http://title.ismatsuokarinworthallthesehype/?ADisappointment?) after their loss against the Dragons? It was a dramatic few weeks for all the fans, and by the end of it all, Makoto was there, with an angry frown on his face and a sharpness to his tone we’ve never heard before. In this [transcript](http://thegentlegiantbareshisfangs/) (thanks @mako17to) of the press release: 

> _“Matsuoka Rin is our captain. He singlehandedly built our team in high school, and he was the one who coordinated with the prefecture to make the Tottori Pirates possible. He can pitch whole strikeout games against big-name teams. Those things, those are amazing things. Rin has always been amazing. And you know what? He’s also just 22 years old. He’s younger than me and Haruka and Sousuke. He’s younger than the majority of big league players. I know the whole of the country watched him in the past couple of years, and so I also know you’ve seen how he’s persevered through all of this._
> 
> _That’s why, there’s only one thing I can tell you: say what you want to say about Rin, but me and the whole team? We’re proud of him. We’ll always be proud of our captain.”_

This team makes me want to cry all the time, jfc. _Tottori Tears down my face tbh_.

Rin was [quiet](http://%27no-comment%27/) the whole time this debacle was happening (because he’s the most media trained member of the team and he knows when to use his silence) so this press release by Makoto is a huge thing. Makoto _doesn’t_ do press releases; he doesn't like it. ~~Which is lucky for him since no one usually asks, because _catcher_~~. Him going out of his comfort zone to do this was a big thing.

Even Haruka [said so](http://inamediascrumafteragame/): 

> _“Makoto doesn’t say much, even in practice and in games. Rin has always been the one to make speeches. The fact that he said all those, it’s proof of how serious our support of Rin is.”_

Protective!Makoto gives me life. Seriously, he’ll [accept all your criticisms about his skills](http://tachibana-on-detractors%3Bi-would-be-the-first-to-admit-i%27m-still-working-towards-their-level/), but he’ll go all Mama Bear if you say anything about his team. The thing is, though, no one says anything bad about Nagisa or Momo or Rei. There’s really no gain from it. Some people bash Haruka, but as a whole, Haruka’s stoic attitude and the fact that he’s won Rookie of the Year made the media wary of touching him. (As Nagisa would say: “When you compliment Haru-chan, he’ll nod in quiet gratitude. When you say bad things about him, he’ll just walk away because he doesn’t care about that. That’s just how Haru-chan is.”)

Rin, on the other hand, has a backstory people love to talk about, is the captain of the team, and is the main speaker for the team. He also has a really huge personality. He _cries a lot_. He has a huge pride. And basically, he’s got the biggest target on his back.

 _Everyone_ wants to talk about how Rin Matsuoka is not reaching everyone’s potential. So Makoto, in the few interviews he gets, always makes sure to say good things about him.

Here are some gems: 

> _“Rin works harder than anyone. I’ve heard of people talking about how hard our training is, how Rin pushes us too hard. But that training? That’s just half of what Rin does. If he makes us run 10 laps, he’ll run 20. He pushes himself hardest. That’s why he’s the player I admire the most.”_

HE’S THE PLAYER I ADMIRE THE MOST ヾ(≧∇≦)ゞヾ(≧∇≦)ゞヾ(≧∇≦)ゞ 

 

> _How different is it to catch for Nanase and Matsuoka?_
> 
> _“They’re both amazing at what they do. I grew up with Haru, so I’ve always been used to his pitches. But I do know how amazing they are. The sound my mitt makes… it’s the best sound. They say it’s unbelievable that I can catch them, but it’s really all thanks to how long we’ve known each other. I know what kind of pitches he’ll throw because I’ve seen them all, because instinctively, I just know.  
>  _
> 
> _Rin is… Rin is different in a lot of ways. He’s just as amazing, and his pitches go directly where he wants it. His control is the best I’ve seen in the league. He experiments a lot with placements and whenever I catch for him, it feels like a dialogue. It feels like talking to someone through the ball. We’ve only known each other for a few years, but it really feels like we’ve built a bond here.”_

THERE THEY ARE AGAIN, TAKING MY HEART WITH ALL THESE BOND TALK.

let me live, Pirates. _Let me live_.

 

And my absolute favorite (also from [Yazaki Aki’s blog](http://zakibaseballqueendotcom/)): 

> _Do you ever regret choosing this life instead of pursuing higher education like you originally planned?_
> 
> _**Makoto:** Honestly? Not at all. I thought for sure there will be regrets, that I’ll fold in just a year, but now it’s two years and I’ve never been happier. University will always be there as a choice; maybe I’ll take online classes when we’ve got time, but right now, I want to focus on the team. It’s amazing how it happened, really. (laughs) Everything Rin said came true._
> 
> _What did he say?_
> 
> _**Makoto:** That if I follow him, he’ll make my dreams come true. That I’ll never regret a second, and that he’ll always be there alongside the team to enjoy everything with me. He said he’ll show me what I can reach. Last week, we just had a game against the Giants. If you told me 5 years ago that I’ll be catching with a big star like Nakamura-san batting in front of me, I’d have laughed at you, but here we are now. I’ll always be grateful for everything Rin did for me._

/sobs/ Rin made his dream come true… They’re so beautiful…

 

**ARE YOU CRYING ABOUT THEIR LOVE NOW TOO???**

If you’re still not shipping them (what is _wrong_ with you???), let me drop the biggest, most adorable fact about these two:

~~(jfc Rin stop posing for the paparazzi, this is why they love following you around dammit child you’re not a model)~~

See that cat over there? Her name is Shirayuki (snow white) because she’s as white as snow and she has a ribbon as red as an apple. She’s majestic and adorable and both Nagisa’s twitter and Gou’s instagram has multitudes of pictures of her.

She is also co-owned by Makoto and Rin. They are both notorious for loving cats, okay? There’s a picspam [HERE](http://themostbeautifulnonexistentpicspam/) of Makoto petting cats, and [HERE](http://rinwithcats%3Bthedream/) for Rin’s pictures with cats. Nitori talked about Rin sheltering abandoned cats before in [this interview](http://nitorionrin%3Bheisagod-given%2Ccat-lovinghunkofaman/). It’s Their Thing.

The story as told by Nagisa:

  


lol it’s more complicated than that, of course. But good job for the great summary, Nagisa-chan.

Makoto did find her injured at the side of the road, and then gave her to Rin since he loved cats, but Rin actually never _owned_ a cat. He just sheltered them back in high school and volunteered in animal shelters and such.

Exactly during that time, Haruka was moving out of his huge house (to be completely independent from his parents), Rin wanted to move out of his parent's house as well, and Makoto was thinking of moving into a pet-friendly apartment.

In the end, they all moved in together in a three-bedroom house closer to their practice field. (OT3? _Yes. Definitely._ )

Here is a [vine](http://snowwhitemeow/) Momo made when Rin brought Shirayuki to practice. **EDIT:** Some people has a problem with playing vine videos so here’s a transcript: 

> (A close-up of Shirayuki’s face) **Momo:** “SHIRAYUKI!!!”
> 
> **Rin:** “Don’t scare her!”
> 
> (Rin takes Shirayuki and deposits her to Makoto’s arms while Makoto is still talking to Gou)
> 
> **Rin:** “Take care of Yuki” (pats Makoto’s arm)

See that casual way he just did that? _MARRIED_.

 

They live together, they have a cat together, they support each other, they protect each other from the media wolves and they have a special battery bond… _**See why we ship them?**_

As my final quote, let me leave you this beautiful excerpt from a [group interview](http://tottoripirates%3Balegendisborn/) they did when the Pirates was born:

> _**Rin:** It feels like with this team, I could reach anything. With Makoto catching my pitches and leading the team with me, I’m confident that we can get to the top._
> 
> _**Minami:** Because you’ve always dreamed of being a part of a battery with a ~special bond~, right?_
> 
> _**Rin:** Oi!_
> 
> _**Sousuke:** He’s very thankful he met Makoto, for various reasons._
> 
> _**Nagisa:** Various, ne…_
> 
> _**Rin:** I AM thankful. I’ll always be. Shut up, Nagisa._
> 
> _**Makoto:** (laughs) I'm thankful, too. With Rin, and everyone in the team, I’m sure we can get through anything._

**Author's Note:**

> talk to me at my tumblr [moeblobmegane](http://moeblobmegane.tumblr.com/) about this fake baseball team i just randomly made, come on. let's do this. I'm so invested, guys.


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